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February 28

• In 1995 Congress repealed the national 65 mph maximum speed limit.  Other states have followed suit, but the effort increase the limits above 65 mph have failed in the Indiana House.  However, Tuesday the Indiana House has approved legislation (92-2) that would allow an increase in maximum speed limits on rural sections of interstates and state highways by allowing the Indiana Department of Transportation to raise limits from 65 mph to 70 mph on interstates outside of urban areas with populations of at least 50,000 and rural areas of state highways could be raised from 55 mph to 60 mph..  The higher limits would not apply to semis, which are limited to 55 mph on rural state highways and 60 mph on interstates. The bill will now go to the Senate, which rejected it in 1999.

• Last fall school officials in Edinburg planned to start drug testing its coaches because of a concern over student safety.  Edinburg has experienced a significant increase in the number of coaches who are not teachers, and some of those coaches drive students in buses to events.  However, a federal judge has issued an order which stops  Edinburgh schools from requiring its coaches to undergo drug testing, so the testing will not be resumed for now.

February 27

• The sectional pairings were drawn Monday night by the Indiana High School Athletic Association. The field of 381 teams will be whittled to the 64 sectional champions -- 16 in each of the four classes -- by Saturday, March 10. Those teams will compete at 32 regionals on Tuesday, March 13, or Wednesday, March 14, followed by the eight semistates on Saturday, March 17.  The two semistate winners in each class will play at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Saturday, March 24..  In the Seymour Sectional Tuesday evening games on March 5th Jennings County will play Bedford North Lawrence at 6 p.m.  Friday night at 6 p.m. the winner of that game will play either Jeffersonville or Floyd Central.  At 7:30 Friday night Seymour will play New Albany.  In the Silver Creek Sectional on Tuesday, March 6th, at 6 p.m. it will be Brownstown vs. Southwestern (Jefferson).  Friday night the winner of that game will play either Clarksville or Pekin Eastern.

• The House has approved, 69-27, a pay raise for legislators and judges, the legislators' first pay increase in 16 years and judges and prosecutors their first pay hike in four years.  The bill now goes to the Senate, where President Pro Tempore Robert Garton, R-Columbus, will likely support it.  Legislators' base pay would rise from $11,600 a year to $19,000 annually, and would take effect in 2003.  Legislators' per diems would rise to $44.80 (from the current $25) per day when the legislature is not in session. Pay of trial judges and full-time prosecutors would rise from the current $90,000 to $99,000 a year. Pay of Indiana Supreme Court justices would increase from the current $115,000 to $124,000 a year, and salaries of Indiana Court of Appeals judges would go from $110,000 to $119,000. The higher judicial salaries would take effect Jan. 1, 2002. The plan is for the higher salaries to be funded by higher court fees that go into effect July 1.

February 26

• State Senator Becky Skillman's bill to repeal the tire tax recently passed the Senate by a 49-0 vote.  The bill would end the 25-cent tax on each new tire sold. The bill would repeal a tax that goes into the Waste Tire Management Fund. With most of the waste tire clean up complete and an 8-million dollar balance in the fund, Skillman says the tax has served the purpose for which it was created.

• The names and social security numbers of about 3000 Indiana University students were downloaded by a hacker this month. The University says the information was taken from a vulnerable computer server.

• Are you using Outlook or Outlook Express E-mail?  A security flaw has been discovered within Microsoft's Outlook and Outlook Express E-mail applications, specifically with the use of Outlook's vCards, or virtual business cards. VCards can be created with malicious code that can either cause Outlook to crash, or even allow the E-mail application to run damaging code on a victim's system. In Microsoft Security Bulletin MS01-012, posted Thursday, the company admitted that the flaw is potentially devastating. "In the more serious case, the attacker could cause the mail client to run code of her choice on the user's machine. Such code could take any desired action, limited only by the permissions of the recipient on the machine," the bulletin states. This means that if a user opens the malicious vCard, virtually anything can happen, including reforming the disk drive or adding or deleting files. There is a patch that will protect users, but users should ALWAYS BE CAREFUL about what they are downloading, even if it looks OK. Microsoft recommends all Outlook users should update their browser with the security patch. Since the flawed software component ships with Internet Explorer, users are recommended to download the Internet Explorer patch at http://update.informationweek.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eChQ0BdPvZ0V20Dj1J

February 23

• The end of the ski season is drawing nigh.  The last week of February is expected to bring somewhat warmer weather to the area -- and with warm there will probably be rain as well as some wind.  Keep track of the local conditions at WonderWeather and see the LocalRadar.  Take your umbrella with you this weekend!

• Brownstown Central High School is sending fourteen of its students to the state championships of the Science Olympiad.  These students garnered 16 medals during the regionals!

• Tonight and tomorrow night are your last chance to experience the Dinner Theatre.  Jackson County Community Theatre will present "Baby". Serving time 6:30 p.m. Performance at 8 p.m. Reservations necessary. Call 812-358-5228 for tickets of information.

February 22

• The proposed Indiana House budget for the next biennium allocates $235,000 for projects in Jackson County.  The largest Jackson County project in the plan is a request for $100,000 for the Vernon Township Fire Department.  Other requests are Grassy Fork Township - $10,000; Green Thumb, Seymour - $10,000; Jackson/Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department - $10,000;  Seymour City Parks - $10,000; Seymour Fire Department - $50,000; Seymour Police Department - $10,000; Brownstown Fire Department - $25,000; Brownstown Police Department - $10,000.  The proposed House Budget is available on the Internet at www.state.in.us.80/legislative/bills/2001/PDF/HB/HB1001.1.pdf  This is not the final state budget, simply that proposed by the House.  The Senate will work on its own, with the requests that have been submitted to them.  Then the final budget will be worked out based on the two proposed budgets.

• The Indiana Natural Resources Commission has approved a $1 gate fee increase, as well as other increases, in state recreational fees. The increases, which take effect March 1, involve more than 30 state parks, reservoirs
  and recreation areas.  It has been several years since there have been any increases.  Full Story - StarNews

• Some children's high chairs, crib mattresses, and sunglasses are recalled.  See the following sites for specific information.  Graco, Simmons, and Consumer Product Safety Commision.

February 21

• Your local school may eventually be evaluated by Standard & Poor's if some education leaders get their way.  The Indiana Chamber of Commerce, as well as Supt. of Public Instruction Suellen Reed,  supports this type of independent evaluation for Indiana schools, thus freeing the evaluation from groups with an agenda.  The cost is estimated to be around $3 million/year and the results would be posted on in interactive website.  Michigan and Pennsylvania have already contracted for the service.  Full Story - StarNews

• Do you notice the large number of cigarette butts outside some establishments?  The state of Maine is working on  a  solution to the problem in a proposed new law which would require smokers to pay an additional $1 deposit/pack of cigarettes which would have filters marked with 5-cent deposit notices.  The used cigarettes would then be treated much like bottle returns as the butts would be collected and taken to bottle redemption centers where they would be properly certified for refunds.  As Maine goes, so goes the nation?  Full Story - StarNews

February 20

• Tyson Chicken recalled because of the possibility of food-borne illness.  Authorities say there have not yet been any reports of illness, however.

• Bloomington police are trying to identify the body of a woman found strangled Sunday inside a house on the city's west side. No suspects have been named in connection with the young woman's death which is being investigated as a homicide. Police say two people who list that residence as their address were arrested on drug related charges this month. One woman and one man were arrested. That woman remains in the Monroe County jail.

February 19

• There is no mail delivery today, government offices are closed, and some banks are closed.  Today is President's Day.  Tuesday will be back to business as usual.

• There is one week left to file your financial aid papers.  Those who are seeking financial aid to attend a university this year must file the papers by March 1st!

February 16

• Don't forget that Monday is President's Day.  While that may conjure up visions of special store sales, it also  means the Post Office and some offices will be closed.  There will be no mail delivery, and the Jackson County Public Library will also be closed Monday.

• Get ready to commune with nature!  The time for hiking and camping is just around the corner, and there's a new book available to help guide you with detailed trail maps for Indiana, as well as special features, local points of interest and other information.  Nearly all of the trails are on public land; a few are private nature preserves with public access, and some of them are located in Jackson and surrounding counties.  Take a look at Indiana Best Hikes by naturalist Alan McPherson, a Bloomington resident, and published by J.L. Waters & Co. in Bloomington.  It is available at bookstores or through www.jlwaters.com for $22.95. 

February 15

• Dinner Theatre time is just around the corner!  Jackson County Community Theatre will present "Baby" on Feb 16, 17, 23, 24 at the Pines Evergreen Room.  Serving time is 6:30 p.m. Performance starts at 8 p.m. Reservations necessary. Call 812-358-5228 for tickets of information.  

• Area police are on the lookout.  Thousands of dollars' worth of motorcycles and equipment were taken yesterday from a cycle shop in Bloomington. Police are looking for a black pickup truck with an extended cab which was towing a white, box-style trailer that was in the area around the time of the burglary. The theft was reported by a worker who arrived Wednesday morning to find the store burglarized.

February 14

• In Women's Basketball Sectionals played last night in Jennings County, the Seymour Lady Owls lost to the BNL Lady Stars, 61-50..

• In Indiana, the women's specialty retailer will close stores in Anderson, Muncie, South Bend, Marion, Daleville, Fremont, Terre Haute and Bloomington. Eighteen stores remain in the state. 

February 13

• Police are looking for a 17-year-old they say shot another youth last evening. Bloomington police say a 15 or 16-year-old youth was taken to Bloomington Hospital shortly before 10 p.m. Monday after being shot at least once in the abdomen. A number of teens who dropped of the victim have been questioned in the case.

• With the investigation of an IU Freshman expected to wrap up this week, it has been announced that the Theta Chi fraternity must vacate their house on the IU campus. The national organization is expected to yank the local chapter's charter this week as well. The trouble stems from a January 27th party at the frat house in which alcohol was served. Two days after the party, IU freshman Seth Korona was taken to the hospital. He died February 4th. Police are trying to explain why Korona had a skull fracture.

• The IHSAA Girls Basketball tournament gets underway tonight with area teams playing in round one of the sectional. At Jennings County, the BNL Lady Stars take a 9-11 record into their clash with Seymour who is 3-17 on the season. Tip off for that contest will be about 7:45 p.m. (it's game two of the night at Jennings County). 

February 12

• Indiana University freshman forward Jared Jeffries and junior center Kirk Haston said Sunday they are considering leaving IU for the NBA at season's end.

• After functioning without a director since September 15, the Jackson County Visitor & Convention Bureau now has a new director.  The new director is Marti Long.

• Convicted Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh wants his execution publicly broadcast. He wrote a letter suggesting that a public execution is the only way for victims to have fair access to it. McVeigh's execution is set for May 16th at a federal prison in Terre Haute.

• The 4th annual Great Backyard Bird Count is February 16-19.  The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology would like for computer users anywhere in North American to let them know what birds they see between February 16-19.  Log on their BirdSource Website  at http://www.birdsource.org for further information. 

February 9

• A Bedford man reported being a victim of a drive-by shooting Wednesday evening. Spires told State Police a person in a late 80s model passenger car pulled alongside his truck on State Road 37 south of Bloomington about 10 p.m. Wednesday. Spires said a person inside the car shot at his truck hitting the tailgate. Police are asking for information about the incident.

• There is 100% chance of rain today!  A very strong cold front will move through Indiana during the afternoon. The large difference in weather conditions across the front will cause very strong wind. The wind will increase this afternoon to 30 to 40 miles an hour from the southwest. Higher gusts are possible near showers and thunderstorms. A wind advisory is issued when a sustained wind is forecast to be 30 to 40 mph or gust from 45 to 57 mph. Wind of this strength may cause minor property damage without extra precautions.  Motorists should exercise caution while driving in the advisory area. Remain alert to sudden gusts of wind which may cause you to lose control of your vehicle. Motorists driving high profile vehicles should exercise extreme caution.

• So do you think you know as much as former I.U. coach Bobby Knight?  You are going to get your chance to find out!  Bobby  has been hired by a Reston, VA, Internet company (Sandbox.com) to post his NCAA basketball tournament picks online.  He will be paid roughly $50,000 to pick the winners of the 64-team field in the main draw.  The company also has a contest in which anyone who correctly picks all 63 main draw NCAA tournament game winners gets $10 million.  Knight wants to return to coaching and he hopes to be exploring some opportunities in the next month or so, but in a prepared statement, Knight said, "I look forward to matching wits against millions of college hoops fans."  NCAA spokesman Wally Renfro said Knight's involvement with the site should not affect his status with the NCAA as long as he's not coaching.  Knight will post his picks on March 11, shortly after the field is announced. He also has agreed to conduct an online chat session to discuss his picks with Sandbox.com users on March 12.

February 8

• Financial aid experts will staff 34 sites beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday to guide people through the intricacies of filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, more commonly known to savvy parents and students as the FAFSA.  The form is critical to securing a share of the estimated $100million in financial assistance from the state.  And there's plenty of paperwork to be completed. Parents and students need completed IRS 1040 tax returns, W-2 forms or other 2000 income and benefits information to get the job done.  The critical FAFSA form, which goes to U.S. Department of Education for processing, is due March 1, and if that deadline is missed, you can kiss any state aid or scholarships good-bye.

February 7

• IU officials have suspended the Theta Chi fraternity until investigators determine how a freshman who died after lingering in a coma for nearly a week received a skull fracture. 19-year-old Seth Korona of New Jersey died Sunday at Bloomington Hospital.

• Gloomy ISTEP test results continue to make the news as legislators discuss school funding.  Suellen Reed, the state's superintendent of public instruction, has pointed to the high numbers of special education and Hispanic children in the schools as factors that caused last fall's scores to drop.  Reed says more teacher training is the key to high scores, but others don't necessarily believe that.  Comparing some of the Jackson County test scores for third graders, 58.8% of the third graders in Seymour schools passed both the math and language portions of the test, while in Brownstown 63.6% passed both sections.  Eighty percent (80%) of the Medora third graders passed both sections.

February 6

• Indiana University president Myles Brand wants to know why he wasn't told that a starting member of IU's women's basketball team was convicted of stealing more than 13-thousand dollars. Brand says he's frustrated that he learned about IU senior forward Rachael Honegger's conviction and sentencing for stealing from an employer in a newspaper.

• State wildlife officials are looking for some frog-lovers to track down Indiana's frog population.  The frog survey begins late this month and will assist biologists studying the range of the state's amphibians. The effort is part of a nationwide campaign to shed light on why the nation's frog and toad populations are declining.

• In the 2001 Girls basketball sectional the Seymour Lady Owls will face BNL next Tuesday (2/13/01) in the Jennings County sectional. in game two starting about 7:45.

February 5

• Three juveniles (one male and two females) who ran away from Jackson County are now in a juvenile detention center. Shortly before 9:30 p.m. Sunday, Lawrence County police received a report of a stolen vehicle from the Leesville Store. The stolen vehicle was later seen at Steven's Eastside on U.S. 50 just east of Bedford where some gasoline was taken. The three youths were later arrested around New Albany.

February 2

• A 26-year-old Bloomington environmental activist will be arrained in Monroe County today on charges of felony tree spiking. Frank Ambrose is accused of driving 10-inch nails into trees in the Morgan-Monroe State Forest last June. Ambrose is a member of the radical environmental groups, ELF, or Earth Liberation Front.

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